I am reading about Laguna's paper clays and thinking about trying some. I would like feedback from those who have used paper clays. They give a wide firing range. Do these clays ever vitrify? Will they hold water? How are they for tiles and detail work? So they play well with glazes? Pros and cons?

paper clay is just clay with paper fiber in it do resist cracking ... it burns out at 451 degrees otherwise its just normal clay. you can make it yourself with news print you shred, soak then turn into a slurry, mix the slurry into your slip bucket mix well and reclaim as normal.

It's just regular clay only better. If you make it yourself you can decide how much to put in. I just use a very tiny bit in porcelain I throw to avoid cracks and make it easier to attach handles. When I'm casting the same porcelain I use a lot so I can cast it so thin it is like glass. I use a blender to make a small batch of clay that is almost all toilet paper (maybe a 1 1/2 to 2 lbs). That is the base that I wedge into my throwing clay or add to my slip. So, for throwing I might add 1 oz (or whatever I feel like adding) of my base to 5 lbs of porcelain. Most paper clay would be more like 8 oz to 5lbs.

It's just regular clay only better. If you make it yourself you can decide how much to put in. I just use a very tiny bit in porcelain I throw to avoid cracks and make it easier to attach handles. When I'm casting the same porcelain I use a lot so I can cast it so thin it is like glass. I use a blender to make a small batch of clay that is almost all toilet paper (maybe a 1 1/2 to 2 lbs). That is the base that I wedge into my throwing clay or add to my slip. So, for throwing I might add 1 oz (or whatever I feel like adding) of my base to 5 lbs of porcelain. Most paper clay would be more like 8 oz to 5lbs.

Jim

I have often thought about adding paper clay to my throwing clay, but not gotten around to it. Jim, do items thrown with paper clay weigh less than the regular? Does this effect shrinkage much? How about absorbancy? Just interested.

It's just regular clay only better. If you make it yourself you can decide how much to put in. I just use a very tiny bit in porcelain I throw to avoid cracks and make it easier to attach handles. When I'm casting the same porcelain I use a lot so I can cast it so thin it is like glass. I use a blender to make a small batch of clay that is almost all toilet paper (maybe a 1 1/2 to 2 lbs). That is the base that I wedge into my throwing clay or add to my slip. So, for throwing I might add 1 oz (or whatever I feel like adding) of my base to 5 lbs of porcelain. Most paper clay would be more like 8 oz to 5lbs.

Jim

I have often thought about adding paper clay to my throwing clay, but not gotten around to it. Jim, do items thrown with paper clay weigh less than the regular? Does this effect shrinkage much? How about absorbancy? Just interested.

It depends on the amount of paper. I haven't done any testing to see if there's less weight but I'm guessing that there is a very small weight difference when clay has a good bit of paper in it and it burns out. I think it makes porcelain a little more translucent. I was afraid it would be the opposite because when the paper burns out there has to be a tiny bit of ash left in the clay but maybe the ash turns to glass (as in ash glaze). I haven't tested for shrinkage either but I haven't noticed a difference. It doesn't affect absorbancy but I think it increases insulation. I've cast cups that are more than 50% paper and are paper thin and they don't leak.

I mainly use paperclay as a tool. If I'm throwing a clay that is prone to crack or not take altering or additions easily, I add just the min amount of paper to solve the problem. That is easy to do if you take a half hour or so one day to make a 2 to 3 lb base that is almost all paper so that you can wedge in paper as (and if) needed. I fill a blender with hot water then put maybe half a roll of toilet paper in it and blend then add pinches of clay until there is enough clay to make the paper act like clay. Dry it until you can wedge it up like regular clay and that's your base that you can use to make 50 or so lbs of paper clay as needed. If it's going to be stored more than a week or two add a little bleach to keep it from molding.

The other thing I make paperclay for is canvases. My wife is a painter and I make porcelain "canvases" for her out of paperclay that is as thin a real canvas but doesn't need to be stretched or a frame and is wonderfully translucent.

i use paper clay. Read it was recommended to fire one cone hotter than the cone it is rated for....that is if you add pulp to a cone. 6 clay, fire it to cone 7.Marcia

See, that I have never heard of before .... I could see how that could be with all the tiny pockets of air you just made in the ware ... but it seems odd ... must be for fast firing I suppose since i've never had a problem with it. ... or for really thick ware.

'The other thing I make paperclay for is canvases. My wife is a painter and I make porcelain "canvases" for her out of paperclay that is as thin a real canvas but doesn't need to be stretched or a frame and is wonderfully translucent.

Jim'

Hello to the Forum!

My name is Irene, I live in Sydney, Australia. Have been reading the forums for about 2 years.

Some of my own porcelain/bone china work mimics handmade paper and the idea of a ceramic 'canvas' has so intrigued me I have to write and ask if Jim (Off Center) might explain his process a little.

I use a lot of ppclay from laguna, lets see what were the questions...

Do these clays ever vitrify?

no at cone 5, seems almost but not quite

Will they hold water?

There seems to be a bunch a paper in there so theres the little voids AX mentioned, at Cone 10 maybe,, nah

How are they for tiles and detail work?

Not great, like said lots o paper, does stamp fine just dont drag anything

So they play well with glazes?

Beauty, really and single fire ,,,o yea no probs

Pros and cons?

It is lighter in weight, if that is good,

throws easy , but keeps hands out of the bucketnever s crack, or stress crack

Believe me when I say it doesn't join like homemade ppclay I dont know why. When I first stated using bmix paper I was lax in joining cuz well paper clay right,,, nope lots of feet fell off etc, so there is that